Our favourite things to do in Japan

16 March 2016

by Katy Davies

The snow-topped cone of Mount Fuji, fluttering pink cherry blossom, red shrine gates and white-faced geishas. These are some of the iconic images of the Land of the Rising Sun, yet there is so much more to discover on holidays in Japan

The dazzling metropolis of Tokyo and the historic city of Kyoto with its serene Zen gardens; the futuristic bullet train and the timeless tea ceremony; snow monkeys and hot springs; these are just some of the sights and experiences that are accessible with all the best escorted tours in Japan.

With its baffling alphabet and intriguingly different customs, visiting Japan can feel a truly foreign adventure in a constantly shrinking, ‘globalised’ world. But an experienced tour leader and expert guides ensure you get the most out of every day of your trip.

Here are just some of the highlights that make Japan holidays so special.

Bullet train

The first bullet train took off 51 years ago from Tokyo station, streaking along at 130 miles an hour, an astonishing speed in the 1960s. Today the ‘shinkansen’ as it is known in Japan travels at up to 200mph and is not only an efficient and comfortable means of transport to cities all over the country, you’ll get some of the best views of Mount Fuji from its large windows. Setting off from Tokyo on a fine day the mighty volcano will come into view on the right hand side. It is so huge you’ll have a good ten minutes to watch and photograph its famous outline and snowy cap - with luck against a cloudless blue sky.

Kyoto

Stepping from the bullet train to find an ultra-modern glass and steel station is not what you might expect in the city that was the imperial capital for 1,000 years, until the 19th century. But Kyoto’s renown for its beauty and antiquity are fully justified in its 17 World Heritage sites.

Spared bombing in World War II, there are 2,000 temples and shrines. Nijo Castle has moats, fortifications, gardens and rock pools, carved wood palaces and the dazzling Golden Pavilion, a Zen temple covered in gold leaf.

In the geisha district of Gion you’ll walk past wooden tea houses in the narrow lanes, and might glimpse an authentic geisha, with traditional white make up, red lips and coifed black hair and kimono with perfectly tied sash, taking dainty steps in high wooden sandals. Kyoto is the birthplace of ikebana, the art of symbolic flower arranging, and the tea ceremony, so be sure to take up the opportunity to watch a demonstration and take part.

Tokyo, Japan

The Japan Alps

The city of Nagoya, host of the 1998 Winter Olympics, is the gateway to the Japan Alps. Venturing deeper in the mountains you’ll come to the hot spring resort of Yudanaka. There are many hot springs in Japan but here you will find are some very special visitors – snow monkeys, native to Japan. Named because their high altitude habitat is covered in snow for much of the time, they keep warm by bathing in thermal pools. Watch their antics, then try a dip in an ‘onsen’ (open air bath) yourself. Wallowing in the healing waters is very relaxing, especially combined with a stay in a ‘ryokan’, traditional inn. Leave your shoes at the door and pad around in slippers and wear a comfortable ‘yukata’ (like a light cotton kimono) for your whole stay.

Hiroshima

The city will always be remembered for that devastating instant on August 6, 1945 when it was the target of the world’s first atomic bomb. You will see the skeletal remains of a propped up building, the A-Bomb Dome, across the river from the Peace Park, dedicated to the 140,000 victims, and the moving Memorial Museum that shows the lead up and the terrible aftermath of the bomb.

Yet not far from Hiroshima is an uplifting sight, considered by many to be the most beautiful in all Japan. Just off the shore at the little island of Miyajima, is the large and graceful ‘torii’ a red shrine gate that give the illusion of floating between the sea and the sky.

Tokyo

You’ll have some time at the start or end of your Japan tour to explore the capital. It is also the country’s largest city, and there is no better way to get a feeling for its reach than from the Skytree tower, whose observation deck is 450 metres above the ground. For a different angle, seeing the soaring skyscrapers from below, you can take a relaxing olde-worlde Asakusa, with its 19th-century houses and seventh-century Sensoji Temple, to the beautifully landscaped Hamarikyu Gardens near the swish Ginza shopping district.

It will be an early start to see the gleaming fish, sea urchins and other seafood in the bustling Tsukiji fish market where you can feast on the freshest sushi breakfast in small restaurants in the surrounding lanes.

Published by Mail Travel, a division of Associated Newspapers Limited, a company registered in England under company number 84121 with a registered office at Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT

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